The Big Apple is a hot spot for city photography. I never saw that many people with a camera and a tripod as in New York City before. Especially the famous photo spots like Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge are full of people trying to capture the perfect moment.
My favorite locations are a mix of city photography spots you might already know and several less crowded places for your inspiration. They are all connected to downtown Manhattan, which is my favorite district. Take a look at the best City & Architecture locations:
City of Brooklyn: Washington St.
My first photo location is one of my personal highlights. It’s a manhole cover at the end of Washington St. The place itself offers a great view on one of the pillars of the famous Manhattan Bridge. The architecture of the houses frames the bridge perfectly. You can read the initials of New York City, if you choose a low angle. I love this photo spot!
City Photography Spot: Brooklyn – New York City.
New York Panorama: Top of the Rock
The visitors platform on the Rockefeller Center is a great photo spot to capture the skyline of New York City from above. The big advantage to the Empire State Building is the fact, that you have free view without any fences or a net. From the top it’s a clear view in all directions: On the one hand you are able to take a shot of the skyscrapers with the Empire State Building and the One World Trade Center and on the other hand you are free to enjoy the view over Central Park. Give it a try!
Photo Spot Manhattan: Glowing Lights.
Skyline View: Brooklyn Bridge Park
If you are looking for a great view on the Manhattan Skyline, I highly recommend this location on the left side of Brooklyn Bridge Park. It’s next to the pier and offers a clear view on the skyscrapers. The posts in the foreground are perfect to create a image with depth. Tip: be there an hour before sunset, the place is quite popular with photographers.
Cityscape: Hudson River – Light it up.
New York City Photo Spot: Manhattan Bridge
Nearly all places on the Manhattan Bridge offer a spectacular view over the roofs of the Big Apple. This particular photo spot on the bridge is less crowded and offers a different perspective. It’s located at the end of the bridge (If you take the left lane starting from Brooklyn) and outlines the dirty side of downtown. The graffiti creates an urban look and forms a great contrast to the financial district close by.
Urban City: Graffiti – Dirty Manhattan.
Must see Location: Staten Island Ferry
Even if you are not a city photographer, take the ferry to Staten Island! The transfer is for free and offers a great panorama view over the city. You can spot the Statue of Liberty and capture the skyline with the One World Trade Center from a different perspective. Try to be one of the first passengers on the ferry, otherwise you won’t get a good spot on the boat.
Cityscape: One World Trade Center – Keep it Simple.
The Big Apple is such an inspiring city. These images outline the urban vibe of New York City. Perfect work and editing! I will give these photo spots a try 😉
Hi
Do you know how and where to make pictures from buildings rooftops
Hey Chris,
I can highly recommend the Rockefeller Center (Top of the Rock) for the classic Manhattan skyline shot. It offers much better options and angles than the Empire State Building. If you are looking for a more private rooftop, try to ask some residents or companys. Otherwise it will be hard to find one.
Your photo spots of New York City really helped me to explore the city in time (I just had two days). I was not able to create such nice images like you, but at least I tried!
My favorite is the image from Manhattan Bridge by the way. I never saw a shot from this perspective before!
Greetings from LA
Jeff
Hey Lukas, thanks a lot for sharing all these beautiful images of New York. I will visit NYC next week and take some shots for myself. Your collection of photo spots helped me a lot 🙂